Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC

If you like loud phones, these are the ones for you. The Windows Phone 8S comes in two-tone polycarbonate; the 8X is a monochrome, unibody polycarbonate. Both come in extremely vibrant colors that will not only help you stand out, but are totally different than anything you'll find on the market these days. To me, these phones' colors are what will make them stand out from others.

So let's get down to the specifics. The features a 4-inch SuperLCD Gorilla Glass display making it really easy to read in almost every type of lighting. It's also resistant to scratches and drops (though I wouldn't recommend you do that often). It also sports a dual-core 1GHz processor, a 5MP rear camera, and 4GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD slot so you can increase the storage space to your liking.

The 8X has a SuperLCD 2 720p 4.3-inch display made from Gorilla Glass 2, which makes it stronger and lighter than the 8S display. It has a dual core 1.5 GHz, 16GB of storage, and two cameras — a backside-illuminated 8MP camera that shoots full 1080p video and a front-side 2.1MP, 1080p capable camera that has an 88 degree viewing angle. This is "tremendously" wider than other competition on the market, allowing up to 4 people to comfortably fit into one shot during a Skype call. Both cameras have an F2.0 aperture meaning you'll get noise-free images in low-light situations, and thanks to a dedicated image chip you can take back-to-back pictures in rapid succession with almost no lag.

As for the similarities, the screens on both phones are laminated to reduce glare. Both come with Beats Audio creating a clear, crisp sound with high trebles, clear vocals, and deep bass. The 8X has two dedicated amplifiers — one for the headphone jack and the other for the speaker — to make playback even better.

Last but not least, because I think this is another major concern, both phones are relatively thin, measuring about 10mm in thickness.